Still missing you
by RoseQuarz
Summary: Basta and Brianna had a secret relationship in Inkheart.When Basta,Capricorn and Dustfinger disappeared Brianna is shocked and feels left alone.She then falls in love with Cosimo,who dies.Basta and the others return to the Inkworld-how will Brianna react?
1. Chapter 1

**Still missing you**

**AN:** I have been thinking about writing something about this paring for a very very long time ^_^ now I finally did and I hope you like it - reviews are always welcome…. Inkheart doesn't belong to me, nor do any of the characters :D enjoy! Oh, by the way, in this fic Brianna is a little older than in the book ;) (the M-rating is just to be sure, I don't know if there will be content yet)

**Summary:** Basta and Brianna had a secret relationship in Inkheart. When Basta, Capricorn and Dustfinger disappeared Brianna is shocked and feels left alone. She then falls in love with Cosimo, who dies. The setting is the time, when Basta, Mortola and all the others return to the Inkworld and Basta wishes to see Brianna again, because he was never able to forget her…but what about her?

**Prologue:**

Basta kicked away another plant with his food and there he was. Hiding behind bushes he looked down on a small hut. It all looked just the way he had left it, and yet it had all changed so much. He wondered whether she would recognize him immediately.

Basta had let them all believe that he hadn't missed a single thing about the Inkworld. Infact, he didn't miss the cold woods a bit and so he did with the dirt and mud and the bad weapons (who would want a sword, when you could have a gun, although Basta preferred knifes). But there was one thing that he really missed. Oh, how well he had played his role. Even Capricorn hadn't noticed the sadness that overcame Basta when he thought of her. And now Capricorn was dead and Basta was back in the Inkworld.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 1:

Brianna rushed through the corridors of the castle. Her long blue dress fluttering behind her. She wasn't a woman to do hard work. She had hated it ever since her blasted father had left her, her mother and her little sister alone. Briannas water blue eyes were filled with discomfort as she carried the big bucket filled with hot water to the kitchen.

If the duke wanted tea for breakfast, he would get tea. And Brianna would be there to make him some. She put the water bucket down on the table releasing a big : "Uuuf" and browsed the shelf for herb tea. Ah, there it was. The young woman put the herbs into the water and watched as they sank to the ground and made the tea look green.

Today was a good day. She hadn't cried yet, she hadn't fainted yet. She took the bucket and made her way back to the dining-hall.

Maybe she was starting to get normal again. Maybe in a week or so she could smile for the first time in weeks. Her endless seeming depression was starting to get embarrassing. As if she didn't hear the words, the other maids whispered to each other during the night. "Brianna is just so sad, because our beloved prince Cosimo is dead. I told you she was his whore."

No not again. She had thought of him. Her pale face went completely white and she leaned against the wall trying to suppress the waves of pain in her body. The thick knot in her throat…release it Brianna, let it be. The tea swapped over the edge of the tea bucket building small puddles on the floor. Brianna took one hand to her mouth. She wanted to suppress the sobs creeping up her throat, but it didn't work. Of course it didn't work, it never did.

In the dining-hall the Prince of Sighs was shouting for his tea. His ever-friendly temper had vanished after the death of his son. In addition to this he had lost a little of his enormous weight, because the only thing he ever ingested was tea. And this tea didn't arrive on time, so he shouted at one of his anxious maids standing around." Where is Brianna? She wanted to bring me some damn tea! How difficult can that be?"

The maid flinched and ran off to find her. After his sudden outburst the Prince of Sighs sank back into his old position on the throne and stopped moving. He had remained in this position ever since he was told that his son had been killed. His head rested on his arm, which he put on the rest of the throne. His eyes were open staring into nowhere looking empty and hollow.

"Please Brianna you have to calm down. I'll get the tea to the prince and you'll go to your quarters and try to relax a bit, ok?" The maid smiled a bit and then took the bucket and ran off to the dining-hall. Brianna lent against the wall a few more seconds, then sighed and stood up. She made her way to her quarters, her head directed at the ground. That was why she didn't notice as Cosimos widow brushed past her.

Everyone was shocked about the sudden death of their beloved Cosimo, but also everyone knew, that his wife wasn't one of them. Someone had to make sure Ombra wasn't sinking in chaos and Violante was he one to do that. She looked at the crying maid wondering what might be the reason for her sadness, but then decided to never mind.

When Brianna was in her room she fell on the bed, but sleep just wouldn't want to come over her so she lay awake the whole day and the whole night thinking about not thinking about the second man she had loved and lost.

While Brianna was in Ombras castle lying awake at night, Basta was doing the same at the Atterheads place. He thought about the past day. When he and Mortola had "asked" the duke for work and a safe quarter for the night and she and him were given two rooms in the castle. But no job, not yet. He grabbed the knife lying next und him and began to stroke its blade. It mirrored the moonlight floating into the room through the small window. Maybe he should be thinking that it was beautiful right now…

during dinner he had talked to the Firefox for the first time in nine years. He was, like everyone else surprised that Basta, Capricorn and so many others had vanished over the years and suddenly he and Mortola came back with odd looking clothes and weapons.

Basta had used this conversation as an opportunity to update him to the current situation in the country. He had tried to avoid the others questions about the past nine years and asked the Firefox about Ombra instead. It didn't really matter to him, that the son of the Prince of Sighs was dead. It didn't matter either, that the Prince of Sighs was in a blue funk because of that. What did matter was only her.

Long before Basta and Mortola had left the other world, Basta had thought how their first encounter might be. So he had asked (and tried to sound casual) where Roxane lived. She was a great excuse for his aims. Everyone knew how much he had fancied her. It wasn't an enigma why Basta wanted to know where she lived. And the Firefox had begun to talk a bit about her. "I've heard that since she was left alone by her husband, she has started to put up a herb business. It works really well for her. As for her daughter (Basta stiffened) she is very angry on her father because of that (Basta smirked) and she moved to the castle of Ombra. There she became the whore of Cosimo but now that he is dead she is only tears, sad really ad, she was such a beautiful woman…."

Basta didn't hear the rest of the sentence. Red, hot anger shot through him. And sadness, but that was washed away soon. She has duped you, it makes no sense looking for her now….unless you want to kill her, of course. Damn, Cosimo the beautiful, no wonder she has fallen for him. The rest of the dinner Basta was quiet and gave short, snapping answers to all questions. When he was finished he got straight up and headed to his room. And here he was, lying on the bed. He couldn't compensate the amount of anger and regret otherwise as to ride straight to the damn whores house and cut her throat. And so he prepared a horse and rode out into the night.

It was about forenoon, when he arrived in the area, which the Firefox had said Roxanes house would be. If Roxane was here, Brianna would be, too of course. It made no sense for her staying in the castle, if her lover (Bastas pressed his teeth together) was dead. His anger wasn't as big as it had been before, but it was still there and so was his plan to kill her. He was sitting in the bushes waiting for Roxane or whoever was at home to come out so he could walk over and "ask her politely" where Brianna was.

The door opened and there she was. Roxane. She was still well pretty, but not as beautiful and eye catching as Brianna. And a small boy was with her. Did Dustfinger also have a son? He didn't look a bit like him, so Basta decided no. However Brianna didn't seem to be there. Where could she be? Basta was sure she wasn't at Ombras castle anymore. That wasn' much like her running after a dead mans' ghost.

Was this the moment for him to come out of his hide? To run out of the bushes screaming and shouting and scaring the hell out of them both before grabbing Roxane by the throat, shaking her roughly and then asking where her daughter was? No, that wasn't the way. He had to be back at the castle in the evening at latest and he didn't have time to "visit" Brianna right now. Roxane might warn her. It was best just to sit there and eavesdrop and see if he could get any information.

It was getting midday and Basta had been sitting in the bushed listening to Roxane and her son talking about nothing but sprouts, when suddenly loud hoofbeat could be heard. A man in the colours of the Prince of Sighs was on the horse. This could become interesting for me, Basta thought and moved towards the horse as near as he could get. He was able to understand them clearly now.

The man handed down a letter to Roxane, who immediately started reading and suddenly began to cry. She looked up at the messenger. "So that means she really doesn't accept my invitation? And I musn't visit her at the castle?" The man nodded "Yes, my lady, I'm afraid that was what she wrote. I'm sorry. As you may know she is very sad because of Cosimos death…" "But that's exactly why I should be there as her mother." Roxane insisted. "I'm sorry I've got my orders." "Could you just tell her that whatever I did, I'm sorry and that I really miss her?" The man looked affected. "Uuhm well yes, of course." He was about to turn his horse, when he added. "But if you want to see her so badly her room is in the maids quarters, right next to the kitchen." Roxanes face brightened "Thank you so much, Sir." "Don't forget-I have never told you this." Roxane nodded and laughed sounding relieved. The man rode away and Basta was very proud on himself. He knew where she was, so now he could see her and….no. He wasn't going to "see" her he was going to kill her. Although nobody had known of their relationship Basta felt dishonored in a way and silly.

He made his way back to his horse his thoughts lying on the only woman in his life he had truly loved.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 2:

The next morning Brianna felt like she had worked all night. Her body ached at parts from which Brianna had thought she actually had no muscles in. She felt numb as she went to the small commode, picket out a new dress (all the maids wore light blue dresses) and headed straight into the kitchen, where the other maids were already making breakfast. A fat maid, which Brianna remembered had talked badly about her, plunked down a bowl, filled with cold potato soup from the day before, on the table in front of her. "Sit and eat fast. You have to hurry the Duke is waiting for his breakfast!"

The last time the young woman had eaten something might have been about two days ago and she shoveled the cold soup into her mouth imagining the taste of honey. When she wanted to get up and begin preparing the breakfast, the fat maid (what was her name again?) came back:" Today is market day. You need to go and get some new vegetables." She said pointing towards a maid who was carrying molded ones across the room and threw them into a bin.

The fat maid leant across the table (an act which put the table under high pressure) and gave a long list with needed ingredients to Brianna. It must have been her fault that I have been given this job, the young woman thought annoyed. What displeased her so much was not only the hard work of racing through town all morning, through the stinking alleys of Ombra collecting whatever the Duke wanted and needing to be back on time – it was more about the fact that she was going to encounter Gleemen in town, definitely.

They were always on the market on this day and meeting them always reminded Brianna of her father. Her stinking, filthy, unworthy of thinking about –father. Who had left her family. Maybe, without him, her little sister wouldn't have needed to dye. But one look to the grunting fat maid, who was shooting death glares in her direction, and Brianna was up on her feet, ready to prepare a horse and ride into town.

The small streets of Ombra were as full, loud and stinky as every day. Drunk looking men were leaning on the walls staring at Brianna in a rude way and giving the one or the other titillating comment. All in all it was a perfectly normal day.

But something was different this time. A crowd was standing around what looked like a small platform. Above a placard which said "Come and see the biggest Fire Eater of all times". Brianna had to chuckle, oh not another of those drastically failed attempts to simulate one of her fathers' performances. That was the only thing he had ever really cared about- his fire. Sometimes Brianna had watched her mother talking to him, her voice sounding really serious, and all the man had really done was staring absent-mindedly into the fire.

She was going to make her way to the next vegetable booth, when suddenly loud screams and cheers could be heard from the crowd, which Brianna noticed, was enormously big for an event like that. The man had to be better than average, she thought. Maybe it was worth looking.

Her slim body easily fit through the holes in the crowd and soon Brianna was at one of the first lines. For a moment she was dazzled by the hot fire which shot through the morning air, making the crowd moan and scream.

Then she saw him.

He was older than in her memory. Fine lines of age on his face, the scars as perfect as ever in her memory. Right now he blew another giant dragon flame into the sky. The crowd exploded with cheers, but Brianna didn't notice that. Her entire body felt numb. For a single moment the whole world stood still.

Dustfinger, her father, had come back.

The realization hit Brianna hard. Tears were filling her eyes. And then suddenly he looked at her for a single second he stopped and began to stare. Brianna couldn't move. It felt like someone had pinned her legs to the floor. Memories were over floating her brain. Happy memories of the two of them together.

Then the moment was gone, Brianna turned away and fled into the crowd leaving a puzzled Dustfinger in front of still cheering and coin throwing people.

Brianna felt like someone had put her heart in her hand and turned it around, so that it would bleed. Did all terrible things have to happen at the same time. Cosimos sudden death. Her fathers' return. As if that all hadn't been enough, she wasn't able to arrive on time for the lunch, so the Prince of Sighs was angry at her.

He wasn't , or hadn't been, a cruel Lord, who punished his people, but the death of his beloved son had changed him drastically. And he isn't the only one, Brianna tought. I have changed, too. I used to laugh more. I used to not look like living dead. I used to be happy…

When she was in her quarters again she tried to think logically bout it all. Probably it wasn't him, only someone who looks like him. It might have been, I have only seen him for a few seconds. Think of the scars, Brianna. These scars…it could be a coincidence. However, she had to know the truth. So she decided to ask the only person who could really know about it. Her mother. If anyone knew about Dustfinger then it was her.

No sooner said than done the maid decided to prepare a horse and visit her mother right now. She had never been a woman for long thinking. Cosimo had liked this fact about her, her hot temper … and HE had liked it, too.

When the young woman arrived at the hut, in which her mother lived, it was long past midday. She was hungry, the soup was long forgotten, and tired of all the physical and mental exhaustion. Her mother was working in one of her herb beds, her mind so absorbed by the work, that she didn't realize the horse and the rider at first. When Brianna navigated the horse towards her, she looked up. First surprised, then questioning and then one of the brightest smiles Brianna had ever seen spread across her mothers' face.

Brianna didn't feel like coming down from her horse. She also didn't feel like talking very much , but that was no problem because her mother did enough talking and laughing for two. How foolish of her to think that Brianna would ever want to live near her again. "…and maybe you could come inside and have some tea. I think I have some peppermint left, or would you prefer lemon? Oh Brianna it's great that you are here! You have no idea what great news I have to tell you-" ,"Shut up, mother", Brianna said sharply. She didn't want to hear her mothers' senseless, happy babbling. She just wanted to know whether it was Dustfinger or not. Roxane looked hurt, but that didn't matter to Brianna at the moment. "Is it true that-" she started but just in that moment the door of the hut opened and a man came out. A man with bright orange hair. Hair just like Briannas' and eyes just like Briannas'. "No.", she whispered. "No, this can't be true." She shook her head vehemently as if not wanting to accept the fact that not only her hated father had returned from nowhere, but also had her mother forgiven him. "How could you?", shouted Brianna at Roxane, her soft voice sounding high and shrill. "How could you forgive him?" and a little lower she said :"He has left us."

All happiness had vanished from Roxanes face and her father, too, looked hurt. Good, serves him right, she thought and with one last, disparaging look in Roxanes direction, she turned her horse around and fled.

Back at the castle Brianna threw herself on the bed and started crying. So it was true. The traitor had come back. One thing was sure, she, Brianna, would never forgive him. Never in her whole life. She turned around and thought of Cosimo. If she hadn't been in tears by now, she would have started crying.

When she wanted to get up and change into sleeping clothes, she took a look at the small dusty mirror. She DID look like a dead person, who became alive again. Her cheeks were hollow, her eyes red and lined by deep shadows. Her hair looked unbelievably messy. She ran a hand through it and suddenly saw that something had entangled itself there. She released it and was suddenly holding a long golden chain in her hands.

At the end of it there was a little tag with the letters **BB **on it.

Since the day she got it and promised to him to wear it forever, she had never taken it off. Not even when the whole thing with Cosimo had started. He had asked her once or twice about the chain, but Brianna had always tried to avoid him and quickly changed the subject.

The maid didn't know if she should laugh or start crying. The chain had been given to her by the man she had previously loved. Before Cosimo. The way he had left her was maybe even more painful, than the way Cosimo did. He had been gone the same day as her father went away. Only that he would never come back. They had to keep their relationship a secret, because he was one of the "evil ones", a fire raiser, one of Capricorns men. He had murdered people and burned houses. But at that time it didn't matter to her, because she had been too much in love with him.

Brianna changed and went back to bed, wondering about the man she had once thought of as the only one in the world.

She turned to one side and began to stroke the BB with her little finger. What had she liked so much about him? She liked the fact, that he had been so evil to everyone except from her. Along with his comrades his temper and behavior might have been bad and evil, but when he was able to put it all away and just be himself, he was a very gentle and good man, although hot-tempered. Brianna always thought of him as one of the men with a hard outside, but a smashed inside. Smashed from all the evil he had done.

Maybe she had thought, that she could have somehow cured him until he was as good as her father. Damn, Brianna had known that he was the man who had once fancied her mother and done so much harm to her Dustfinger. But from now days point of view she looked upon it a year of childishness…but hadn't she felt the same with him as with Cosimo? Brianna liked to think that the feelings for Cosimo had been more intense, than for HIM, but if she was honest to herself, which didn't happen often, she had to give in that she had felt more for HIM than for the Prince. What he might be doing right now? Maybe he is already dead, she thought and to her horror that displeased her more than she thought.

Oh, Brianna stop being so foolish, she thought and feel asleep.

She awoke from the sound of the cracking door. She was still half asleep so she thought, ah it must be Cosimo feeling lonely tonight. Then her fingers touched the chain and suddenly she was awake remembering everything. This could only be a robber or a murderer, because who else would not knock? Her eyes widened in terror and her heart began pumping blood through her veins faster than it should be. Whoever the intruder was, Brianna thought, he must hear my heartbeat.

The door opened with a little "crack" and the intruder was in her room. She could see his surprisingly small and lean figure standing opposite her bed. His face was hidden by the shadows and Brianna didn't even think about screaming. A little bit of moonlight fell through her window and she could see a knife blinking. He approached her bed, just then a little bit of moonlight fell on his face.

Brianna gasped in shock. "Basta." He came nearer until she could smell his peppermint breath on her as he leaned down. She didn't try to escape or scream. Then he leaned down to her and his raspy, but soft cat voice whispered dangerously into her ear :"Hello, darling, did you miss me?"


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 3:**

It is all just a dream. A silly, bad dream. It was all just because her father had returned and she had thought of Basta so much before falling asleep. He wasn't really standing beside her bed smiling down at her.

He had never been so scary, another proof, why he couldn't be real and- "No reason to look so shocked, aren't you happy about our little reunion?" his voice was still so calm and soft…unnaturally calm and soft. Unlike the Basta she had known.

Just like Dustfinger he had also aged, but his hair was still the same length as the day he left, his shirt and clothes looked just the same…and his eyes. These unforgettable brown eyes, that could look so soft and puppy like and so angry and frightening. Brianna had seen all of them in any situation.

"Are you…are you real?" she asked stretching out a hand to touch his face. " 'f course I am real, silly." and what could be interpreted as a laughter left Bastas lips. Brianna also had to chuckle. She didn't know what else to make of the situation. It was unrealistic, yet made perfectly sense. Dustfinger and Basta vanishing at and coming back at the same time. It felt like one of destinys' sick joke.

One lover disappeared, another returned.

Basta rushed through the corridors of the castle. The kitchen had to be somewhere. This night was perfect. He had beaten a few of the guards down and everything had been perfect until now. Damn, the silly kitchen had to be somewhere. Just in that moment he heard food steps behind him, damn now I'm finished.

Basta immediately grabbed the little sac around his neck and prayed to whoever might hear him. Then, a fat maid went past him. When she noticed him she stood still and asked= What do you want here? A guard in civil who wants to steal food from the kitchen?" the tone in her voice was dangerous and although everything in Basta screamed for getting rid of her and cutting the fat hens' throat, he thought it might be cleverer to test her intelligence first.

What had the Firefox told him about the situation in the castle? The Prince of Sighs only drinking tea?

"I was ready with my guard, when suddenly I was called by out dear Lord, who asked me personally to get him some tea from the kitchen." The fat hen looked at him as if that was too much for her small brain. "And I need to know where the kitchen is, because I've never been ordered to deliver food." Basta said with after-pressure. "Well, then." The hen suddenly said. "It's right over there the corridor to the left. Basta actually smiled at her. "Thank you very much, young lady." The hen actually blushed and if the situation hadn't been so serious he would have laughed.

The door wasn't a problem for him. He had had to handle much worse for Capricorn in the other world. Doors with time codes and alarming systems. Against that, this one was nothing. He just hoped Brianna wouldn't wake up. He wanted to cut her throat right away and then flee, before anyone noticed.

Ah, there it was, the door went open leading Basta into a small room, of course, a maids' room. And there she was. Lying in the bed. She looked just like the sleeping beauty Darius had always told everyone of. Only that she wasn't sleeping anymore. Basta hurried and closed the door behind him silently. He needed to scare her enough so she wouldn't scream.

Her actions had never been able to be foreseen, one of the many things he liked about her. She sat up and looked at him, her eyes blinking once, twice, then she seemed to be shocked. Her eyes went wide. Did she recognize him? "Basta." She whispered breathlessly. Yupp, Basta, he thought. That's me.

He leaned down to hear and whispered into her ear. He was trying to make his voice sound as dangerously as possible. She should be frightened after all. "Hello, darling, did you miss me?"

Brianna looked shocked and frightened. Ok, enough playing, he thought. Let's just get it over with and then run away as quickly as you can. He was just about to approach her and bring his knife to her throat, as she began to speak to him.

What surprised him was the fact that she didn't sound a bit scared. She may be a way better actress than I thought, he thought. In fact, she sounded angry and upset. "..?" she looked at him angrily, her position was now upright and she had her arms crossed over her chest.

What? SHE was angry at HIM? For what? She had no right to be angry. HE hadn't loved another woman…at least not mentally, but that wasn't the point. He was here to kill her and that was it. But at the moment, Basta was so perplex that he couldn't speak a word.

"Could you say something about this please and not just stand around and stare at me like I was some cow? Where have you been? What gives you the right to just run without saying goodbye and not showing up for nine years and then suddenly you and my father are here again. Back. Do you know how I've felt when you left me? Hell, I was in love with you! And you just pushed it away for what? Robbing other cities with Capricorn? Is that what you have done all the years?"

Bastas face went pale "Capricorn is dead." He said monotone. "And yes, I have been robbing cities with him. But I didn't decide to go away. I didn't, trust me." Why did he want her to trust him? Hadn't he wanted to cut her throat a minute ago? Brianna had always been good at turning all his thoughts and decisions, he made in situations when he couldn't control himself anymore, around. And he loved her for that. Still, after all those years.

"Brianna", he whispered reaching out with a hand. He wanted to touch her cheek. The warm skin he had dreamed of so often, he had wanted so long to touch, but Brianna pushed his hand away roughly. "You know what, I was over you. I met someone new and I am very happy with him." She said her voice shaking. Basta grinned. "Well, I have heard that certain someone died about a week ago. And now you're alone again…and I am here."

He shouldn't have said that. Tears shot into Briannas eyes and all the tension she had been holding back, all the emotions suddenly came over her. She jumped up from the bad and threw herself into the arms of the surprised Basta, who caught her and pressed her hard against his chest. She was as warm and good-smelling as he remembered and few women were as clean as she was. The most beautiful woman in the world was still sobbing into his white shirt, but that was worth it. Her being pressed against his chest was the most beautiful feeling in the world and it was now that he finally realized how much he had missed her.

"Where have you been.", she cried "Where have you been?", Basta wanted to tell her. He wanted to tell her everything about the land full of TVs and Snacks and Cars. He wanted to, but for now it was too late. Someone must have noticed the knocked-out guardians. Screams could be heard in the corridors. "I should be going." He said to her.

She looked up at him, her face full of tears, but still beautiful. And she was smiling. She was finally smiling. "Meat me at the market," she said in a husky voice. "The day after tomorrow, alright? And then you will tell me everything, understood?" Basta chuckled. She sounded like the Firefox when he was giving orders. "Yes, Ma'm."

He turned to the door. He had to hurry in a few minutes the whole castle would be awake. But Brianna grabbed his arm and he turned around. She was still smiling. Then she lend over to him and gave him a small kiss on the cheek. " You must come." She whispered insistently and then she let go of his arm and he was gone. The faint smell of peppermint was all that was left of him.


End file.
